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Thursday, May 12, 2016

The Best-Kept Secrets All Event Planners Should Know About Wedding Venues

The first question a bride should answer, after saying “yes” to her new lifelong partner of course, should be where she wants her wedding to be held.

And let’s just say—that’s not an easy question to answer.

There are several factors to consider: do they want it outside or inside, want it in their hometown or in the middle of both families, or are they wanting a destination wedding?

And guess what, event planners? Your clients are going to be looking to you to help them make that decision.

So, we’re here to let you in on the best-kept wedding venue secrets we think all event planners should know.

Secret #1: The style of the wedding dictates the venue

Believe it or not, what your clients choose for their wedding style will really narrow down the venues you look for.

Now sure, we’re not saying you can’t throw a 1920s styled wedding in a rustic barn setting, because you certainly can. However, do your clients want an informal or formal event? Will it be at night or during the day?

When you help your clients start thinking about the type of wedding they want, you’ll really help them narrow down the venue selection.

Secret #2: The number of guests

You guessed it, knowing how many guests your clients want to invite is a sure way to help decide on the venue.

Let’s say your clients want a wedding with 350 guests. Well not much to your surprise, when you have a large guest count there’s a small selection of venues you’ll be able to choose from.

So getting an estimated guest count is a good first step in selecting the venue. And when your clients start thinking about who they want to invite, it will also help them decide on the geographical positioning of the venue—like if they want it in in an area near where the majority of their guests live.

Secret #3: The dreaded, unpredictable weather

When you’re helping your client pick the venue, the one thing you should warn them about is the weather.

And you won’t be the only one warning them. The weather plays a huge part in deciding where your clients’ event is going to be held. If they want a July wedding, is outside really the best option? And if they want it in April, are they ready to deal with the chance of rain?

You can never plan for the weather, so it’s always good to plan around it. Always have a backup indoor location on hand if you need to.

Secret #4: Traffic and driving considerations

We mentioned earlier that sometimes when picking a venue it could be important to your clients to find a centralized location.

Maybe one person’s family lives in New York and the other’s in Tennessee—maybe finding something in the middle could work well for their guests who may be traveling.

Now let’s think on a smaller scale, what if your clients want a venue that’s in downtown Charlotte, on a Saturday, during the middle of a city-wide event, what are you going to do?

You don’t want the guests sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, or to have to delay the event. Make sure you think about things like this whenever you’re helping choose the venue.

You’ll also want to think about a venue that is too far removed from main roads. Sure, the view might be gorgeous, but is it difficult for the guests to arrive at?

So event planners, there you have it, some of the best-kept secrets when it comes to helping your clients select a venue.

Good luck! We know you’ll be able to help your clients find the location of their dreams in no time.